Young Readers Pick: Night Animals

Night Animals

by Gianna Marino

Viking

2015

32 pages

ISBN: 9780451469540

 

Cover art reveals a wary possum who seems to be on edge.  His frightened eyes, his ears pulled straight back, his arms stiff with a spooked expression say it all. Possum is scared. The print of the title is spooky with a zombie-esque font. Inside is ink black with sets of eyes peering into the night. The title page features possum and skunk peering out into a black forest.

Skunk comes across possum who's hiding from "night animals." He's afraid of what's out there in the dark making creepy noises. Along comes a equally frightened wolf who's running from something big. The bear who is following the wolf is also on the run from something "HUGE." The four animals continue to creep each other out until they realize they are running from a bat's shadow. They admit they are afraid of night animals, but the bat assures them that they ARE night animals. When the animals come into contact with humans sleeping in a tent, everyone, animals and humans, scares each other. Just when you think the story's over, possum even quits "playing possum," they hear a weird sound and get scared all over again.

Refreshing and captivating illustrations and the cute friendship between skunk and possum will have young readers enthralled. This is a great keeper of a book. It is  a good read for a child with night fears, helping to show that sounds in the night are just animals. Even the animals may be afraid of each other and humans! The character of Possum is hysterical--he is memorable and dramatic.

Highly, highly recommended as a bedtime, night time or camping story. I heart Night Animals.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Bath Time Pick: Ten Pigs An Epic Bath Adventure

Ten Pigs An Epic Bath Adventure
by Derek Anderson
Illustrations by the author
Orchard Books
2015
 40 pages
ISBN: 9780545168465

Published reviews: what others are saying

Just DELIGHTFUL! Ten Pigs An Epic Bath Adventure is everything a children's book should be. It's entertaining, fun, charming, colorful, silly and bursting with heart!

One lucky pig has the huge bath tub to himself--which is fine, indeed. One by one he is joined by number two, number three, number four, number five, and so on until there is no little piggy wiggle room! One clever pig fixes the problem with a super slick sly move.

The illustrations are the stuff dreams are made of! It is not often that an author/illustrator gets it so right! Anderson is able to tell the story simply through the illustrations. Each page is a gem. Children may even beg to take a bath like the pigs in the story.

This is a must have book for any child. If you buy one bath time book, make it Ten Pigs An Epic Bath Adventure. So much fun!

Highly, highly recommended! I give this children's book the highest praise. ONE of the very BEST I've recommended!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Fairy Tale Fun Pick

Half Upon a Time
by James Riley
Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), 2010
385 pages

A cute take-off on well-known fairy tales, this novel is sure to please young readers. Jack is pushed into rescuing a princess--any princess-- and when he meets May who happens to fall into his world--she is wearing a t-shirt that says "Punk Princess." Jack, of course, thinks she's the real thing and goes about kissing her to wake her up from her "sleep."

May wants nothing to do with this princess thing, but soon realizes she is totally out of her element. In Jack's world, there are dragons, and evil queens, and giants. Trolls, magic, and talking animals, legends and lore and much, much more. And then there's this beanstalk and Jack's missing father.

May and Jack set out to rescue her grandmother who has been kidnapped. Jack realizes that May is the granddaughter of no other than the famous queen Snow White. They enlist the help of a real prince along the way.

The three run into all kinds of storybook trouble and May needs Jack's help to find her truth.

Masterful storytelling will keep the pages turning long into the night. Readers will delight with the stories they know and the ones that are a little twisted. Even children who have only seen the Disney movies are sure to enjoy Half Upon a Time.

Highly recommended grades 4-7

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review. (my apologies for an earlier typo that read Adaddin instead of Aladdin for publisher).

Shiver

Shiver

by Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic, 2009
400 pages

In a fresh coming-of-age, girl meets wolf love story, Grace watches a wolf pack from the swing in her back yard each winter. She is fascinated by a yellow-eyed wolf who seems to watch her, too. Grace begins to think of this wolf as her wolf. He disappears every summer, but is back again when the weather turns cold. The attack and murder of a high school classmate brings girl and wolf/boy together, and Grace accepts Sam as a human/wolf, and tries to make him stay "human" to be with her always. To solve this problem, author Stiefvater turns to medical science. Part Twilight, part Beauty and the Beast, Shiver is sure to be the next great teen love story. The movie rights are probably already in the works, and this should make a great teen love story movie. Recommended for YA collections.